Lightning 4, Capitals 3, SO

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Now the Tampa Bay Lightning know what it's like to win a shootout.

Dan Boyle scored twice and Vaclav Prospal's shootout winner gave the Lightning a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.

The victory was the first in four shootouts for the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Lightning overcame a 3-0 deficit to win for the first time in 13 attempts in Washington. Tampa Bay already lost a pair of 3-2 shootouts in the nation's capital this season.

"We wouldn't have been too happy leaving this building again with another shootout loss," Brad Richards said.

Prospal was the fifth Lightning player to test goalie Olaf Kolzig in the shootout, won 2-1 by Tampa Bay. Richards also beat Kolzig in the first round.

Alexander Ovechkin scored for the Capitals in the shootout, but Lightning goalie John Grahame stopped the next four shooters.

"We're playing some of our best hockey of the year," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "It's the type of hockey we need to play - puck control, forechecking and pinching."

Washington's Matt Pettinger scored on a second-period penalty shot, then hit the crossbar in overtime. Pettinger's penalty shot was the first of his NHL career and the first for the Capitals since Dec. 11, 2003, when Dainius Zubrus scored on Boston's Andrew Raycroft.

The teams met for the third time this season, including their second faceoff in eight days. The home team had won each previous game, including the two shootout victories by the Capitals.

Boyle's second goal of the game and ninth of the season tied it 3-all at 5:45 of the third period.

"They didn't give in," Tortorella said. "They just kept on pushing forward. The thing I liked about it, they didn't try to do too much as individuals to get back in it. They stayed within the team concept."

After taking a 3-2 lead into the third period, the Capitals managed only three shots in the third and just one in the 5-minute overtime.

Kolzig stopped two shots on Tampa Bay's power play in the final 1:29 of regulation, but he was upset the Lightning's second goal was allowed and teammate Brian Willsie had an apparent goal nullified in the third period.

"The goal they allowed for them, the puck was under me," Kolzig said. "We had a goal disallowed when it was in front of Grahame and we're whacking at it. He did not freeze it. It was still alive. I don't know what they're blowing the whistle for. That's a two-goal swing."

The Capitals took a 3-0 lead in the first minute of the second period. Pettinger scored on a penalty shot 26 seconds in after being tackled from behind by Pavel Kubina on a breakaway. Only 13 seconds later, Brian Sutherby's fifth goal of the season made it 3-0. Matt Bradley assisted on the play.

"We blew a 3-0 lead but we did a good job once it was 3-3, killing off a couple penalties," Washington's Jeff Halpern said. "We had our chance in the overtime and in the shootout to put it away, but to be up 3-0 and lose is the most disappointing thing."

Boyle scored the Lightning's first goal off assists by Fredrik Modin and Martin St. Louis at 3:58 of the second.

Rob Dimaio pulled Tampa Bay to 3-2 at 12:25 of the second. Kolzig smothered the puck in front, but Nolan Pratt knocked it loose and Dimaio stuffed it home for his first goal of the season. Prospal also got an assist.

The Capitals led 1-0 after the first period on a power-play goal by Andrew Cassels at 13:39. Ovechkin and Halpern assisted on Cassels' third goal of the season.

Notes: In a pregame ceremony, Cassels was honored for becoming the 204th player in NHL history to play in 1,000 career games. He reached the milestone Tuesday night in Pittsburgh, where he joined Phil Housley, Dale Hunter, Calle Johansson, Kelly Miller and Adam Oates as the sixth player to accomplish the feat while wearing a Capitals sweater. ... Both clubs played Tuesday night in Pennsylvania. The Lightning won 4-2 at Philadelphia while the Capitals dropped a 5-4 decision in Pittsburgh. ... Ovechkin had an assist for the third time in four games. He leads the Capitals with 23 points in 22 games.